Pay, tax and employment history requests through the Agent Helpline

Key Points

HMRC is changing how it deals with agents’ requests for clients’ pay, tax and employment history information.

Agents will still be able to request information via the helpline but information will be sent direct to clients.

HMRC are working on a digital facility that will enable agents to access client details online.

HMRC are making urgent changes to the information they will provide to agents over the phone. Details (provided by HMRC) are set out below.

Background

HMRC has recently seen a large increase in requests from agents for their clients’ pay, tax and employment history information, often in bulk, mainly to claim employment expenses, and involving a growing number of security issues. These include agents pretending to be their clients, and calling on behalf of clients who have not given the necessary permission.

Clients’ detailed personal information will no longer be given to agents over the telephone

As a result, HMRC is making changes to the way it supplies this confidential data. While it can continue to take requests for this information via helplines, it can no longer provide the detailed personal information directly to agents over the phone.

From now on, HMRC will send the requested information directly to clients, who will then be able to forward it to their agents for the relevant claim to be made or tax return completed.

HMRC is sorry that this security measure will add some time to the process.

Quicker alternative

As a quicker alternative, HMRC notes that clients can access this information through the online service in their Personal Tax Account. They can now view, print and download their pay and tax details in just a few minutes – they will need their National Insurance number and a recent payslip, P60 or passport to sign-in for the first time.

Digital facility

HMRC is working on a digital facility that will enable agents to access their clients’ details securely online, which is expected to go live later in the year.